59 replies to this topic

[LinktheMaster]

There is a document, though. If you hit F1, there's a document that actually does explain a lot of stuff. Now, it's far from perfect. I think there are some things missing, but it does explain a lot about ZQuest. It's even relatively up-to-date (it at least seems to have new functionality like the enemy editor in it). I say it's not perfect because as far as I know, it's not context-aware. So if you try to open it in the tile editor, it won't jump down to the tile editor portion. It's also not searchable. So when hitting F1 in ZQuest, it's sadly worthless unless people scroll up and down.

But, the file is zquest.txt in the ZC folder. Furthermore, the document doesn't pull up properly in Windows notepad, so you have to open it in Notepad++. But! If you do that, it's searchable and looks nice, and it actually has a lot of really good information in it. It has all the information you're asking for, actually.

So is it the best? Heck no. It definitely needs to be fixed up. Had I really thought about it, I would have brought it up before 2.50 went final. (In the very least, I think the help via F1 in ZQuest needs to be searchable or have bookmarks.) But to outright act like ZQuest doesn't have anything at all is just... wrong.

[Dawnlight]

And people are so lazy to look at the ZC Wiki page. That's where I got most of my info regarding 2.5 from.

[Hoff123]

Yeah, I actually did read a bit from the help file and learned something, I just didn't mention it. I just don't want to start agruments and stuff...lol, but coming from Linux, I'm VERY used to looking for stuff online . Wikis, are awesome, and pretty much every Linux project has a wiki . Also, Teamudf's Youtube tutorials helped me a little with ZQuest.

[Koh]

And people are so lazy to look at the ZC Wiki page. That's where I got most of my info regarding 2.5 from.

You shouldn't HAVE to do that though. In all my years of using Game Maker, I've never had to go online and ask how to use a particular feature. Why? Because they're all explained in the help file, and I can just look it up in there. What I HAVE gone online for is examples of piecing different features together to accomplish a certain task, which is totally different from trying to understand how to use the feature itself.

Edited by Koh, 17 March 2013 - 10:34 AM.

[Dawnlight]

You shouldn't HAVE to do that though. In all my years of using Game Maker, I've never had to go online and ask how to use a particular feature. Why? Because they're all explained in the help file, and I can just look it up in there. What I HAVE gone online for is examples of piecing different features together to accomplish a certain task, which is totally different from trying to understand how to use the feature itself.

What's the distinction between opening a txt file and a webpage? If you had an iPhone, you're saying Apple should have a help file for ALL applications the phone supports.

Edited by Dawnlight, 17 March 2013 - 05:39 PM.

[Koh]

What's the distinction between opening a txt file and a webpage? If you had an iPhone, you're saying Apple should have a help file for ALL applications the phone supports.

Totally different scenario all together. It needs a helpfile that describes all the applications that the phone comes with. Whatever other apps are made, it's the developer's responsibility to make them user friendly and provide a help file. And going online can't always be done, hence why a complete packaged helpfile is necessary. Even Windows comes with one, and if none of what was provided helps with your specific problem, THAT'S when you have to go online.

Edited by Koh, 17 March 2013 - 05:49 PM.

[Dawnlight]

Totally different scenario all together. It needs a helpfile that describes all the applications that the phone comes with. Whatever other apps are made, it's the developer's responsibility to make them user friendly and provide a help file. And going online can't always be done, hence why a complete packaged helpfile is necessary. Even Windows comes with one, and if none of what was provided helps with your specific problem, THAT'S when you have to go online.

Well, that was a cheesy way to make a point in my part. I'm not going to start a debate, but what's the problem with the help file that ZQuest provides? Is it because it doesn't have nice, fancy, candy-coated pictures on it? Is it like hieroglyphics that it's WAY too hard to understand?

Edited by Dawnlight, 17 March 2013 - 06:06 PM.

[Koh]

Well, that was a cheesy way to make a point in my part. I'm not going to start a debate, but what's the problem with the help file that ZQuest provides? Is it because it doesn't have nice, fancy, candy-coated pictures on it? Is it like hieroglyphics that it's WAY too hard to understand?

The problem is it's incomplete and is missing a lot, so when you approach the pieces it's missing, you're all on your own unless you go online...didn't we talk about this earlier in the thread XP.

[LinktheMaster]

Yeah. It is missing a lot. Which is odd. Most of the missing stuff is from 1.92 of all things. A couple of the new features that I looked for seem to be there, but I didn't check for old stuff (like layers), which aren't implemented at all. It's really odd.

[Dawnlight]

Well something like a "?" button in each of the menus would be nice to have.

[Omega]

Gonna go with 5. For me personally it's excellent.

If you've used the small mode for so long like myself, you really appreciate 3 columns to work with. It takes FAR longer to scroll to combos with one tile list. Though every now and then I'll use smallmode for nostalgia. Let's not forget the favorite tile window, how handy is that?

[Three Pendants]

On the topic of tutorials. I was Completely Lost when I picked up the tool. It's very labor intensive when you first look at it right out of the box. Yes you can read All of that, but that only helps so much. I think it's mostly a kinetic thing. I really learned how to properly use the program and its functions through...

http://www.youtube.c...5A17A2DB21E7DAB

Videos for this sort of stuff helps Immensely More than written words and instructions in my opinion.

[Omega]

Ahh TeamUDFs Zquest guide!

It's be cool if there was a button for video tutorials as well. Or maybe for a page with fan made tutorials with ratings! Something needs to be done for newer users.

[Hoff123]

Yeah, his tutorials are awesome. Now, he use(d) 2.10, but it's still cool .

[Omega]

Yeah, his tutorials are awesome. Now, he use(d) 2.10, but it's still cool .

He's already stated he'd do 2.5 if there was a stable version and enough people use it. This was before RC3. If enough people want that I'm sure he'd do a 2.5 Zquest guide as well possibly. Especially with the release of 2.50.

Edit: Though he's currently working on a quest, so it would have to be after that.

Edited by Franky, 19 March 2013 - 10:23 PM.